Change of Plan
by PlayingMyRole
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Spoilers! What if Naruto, rather than Sakura, had followed Sasuke that night? What if Sasuke had never left with the sound-nins? One small decision can send everything spiraling out of control. Various pairings.
1. Moonlight's Offer

**Title**: A Change of Plan

**Rating**: PG-13, may or may not go higher as the story progresses.

**Summary**: (Contains spoilers) What if Naruto, rather than Sakura, had followed Sasuke that night? What if Sasuke had never left with the sound-nins? One small decision can send everything spiraling out of control. Most likely will contain various pairings, none of which have been established yet.

**Notes**: Reviews are loved-loved-loved. While I love shameless praise, I don't mind constructive criticism. I find that writer's don't get that enough on this site. However, outright flames will be ignored, or possibly posted in "notes" sections for a few good laughs. I'm very bitter about that. =P 

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A Change of Plan

He planned to leave under the cover of darkness. Yet there never was true darkness save on moonless nights, which this was not. Silver illuminated the lone form of the young Uchiha, who moved with firm steps, a determined gleam in his eyes. This was _his_ night, and damned if he was going to let _anyone_ get in his way. To anyone, it would seem that wanderlust had consumed him, drove his feet onward as he quested towards some unknown destination.

But, of course, he did know where he was going. He'd stop at nothing to get there, damn the cost.

_You can only turn your back on me so many times, Itachi..._ the boy swore resentfully in his thoughts. _You'd better keep your eyes on me from now on._

Reflection seemed to deflect all other thoughts. In this single moment, Sasuke was alone in the silence of the night, and all of the world had ceased to exist. There was nothing but his goal standing before him.

The wind slowly began to pick up, urging leaves and branches to sway. They complied, producing the familiar, calming _swoosh_ that sounded much louder than it should to the youth. Another noise was disrupting the tranquility that had just been present. A rather loud noise, at that.

_Footsteps. Who else would be out at this hour? _he wondered, a bit irritated that his plan to leave unseen might be foiled.

"Sasuke?" a voice drifted over.

The scant light of the moon didn't allow for him to see the approaching figure's face just yet, but the voice made it obvious--painfully obvious--who it was that followed him. Not that Sasuke would welcome an interruption by anyone, but from _him_?

"Sasuke! Wait up!" Naruto exclaimed, much louder this time, as he ran over. "Why are you out so late? I mean, I'm out late, too, so you could ask the same question, but I do this a lot when I can't sleep. Had too much ramen before bed, I think. At least, that's what everyone tells me is the reason I can't sleep. Can't shut off my brain..."

He trailed off, realizing that his ramblings gave the Uchiha no time to answer. Though the other stopped, he didn't speak a word in reply.

"You okay?" Naruto, who by that time was side-by-side with Sasuke, peered into his face so that blue eyes were meeting dark ones.

Dark ones that looked up quickly, catching Naruto off-guard. He jumped back a few steps. If looks could kill, the figurative daggers being flung from Sasuke's eyes would certainly be hitting their mark about now.

"Get lost," Sasuke growled, refusing to say anything else.

"Huh?" Naruto blurted out, daring to edge a bit closer. "What's up with you all of a sudden? You've been acting like an ass since..."

"Shut up," the Uchiha interrupted.

_Certainly doesn't waste words,_ the blond boy thought, resisting the urge to say anything of the sort. He didn't want to get on Sasuke's bad side, merely find out what was causing it to manifest itself.

"It's none of your business," was the only hint he received. "So unless you'd like to start where we left off with nobody here to break us up, I suggest you do what I told you the first time. Get lost. I'd rather not have to fight you over this, it would only be a waste of time."

"I am _not_ a waste of time!" Naruto exclaimed, digesting only one meaning of the comment rather that listening to it as a whole. "Take it back, you asshole!"

"_You. Are. Wasting. My Time._ Need I say it again?" Without waiting for the other to even open his mouth, Sasuke began to walk away.

"Don't turn your back on me, damnit!" Naruto yelled out at the retreating figure. "I'll show you!"

Such a startlingly similar echo of his previous thoughts made Sasuke stop in his tracks as if the very words paralyzed him. The wind had died down, and both boys were still as the trees. Each was aware of the silence that hung like a veil over the entire scene.

_Maybe he _would_ understand--_ Before the thought could fully form, the Uchiha shook his head. Naruto couldn't understand why he was leaving, even if he shared that same desire for recognition from the person he sought to match his skills with. Naruto would never do anything like this, Sasuke knew without a doubt. Wouldn't give in to anything and would find that power on his own. But too much had happened, and Sasuke simply couldn't wait. No matter where he was, it seemed he was always walking in Itachi's shadow. There had been no doubts when he set off to leave with those sand-nins, to find Orochimaru, to gain that which he desired.

But now, because of that _damned_ Naruto, here he was, starting to question himself again. Doubt, it seemed, would be his downfall. But he couldn't allow that, period.

"Where are you going, Sasuke?" the blond boy asked, his voice much lower than it normally was. "And don't tell me your not going anywhere. I saw you, looking at everything like you'd never see it again. I'm not a _total_ idiot, y'know."

"Nowhere," he answered flatly. "I'm not going anywhere. But _you_ are."

Naruto opened his mouth to demand to know what the hell Sasuke meant by that, but before he had the chance, the other boy had lunged straight for him, hoping to catch him off-guard with a quick blow to the head. No need to cause him any extra pain, no need to let him find out where he was going, knocking him unconscious seemed the best way.

But Naruto was fast, dodging just a few split seconds before the blow could connect. "Watch it!"

Silently swearing, Naruto began to regret that he carried no weapons. _Who would have thought they'd be needed for a little stroll in the middle of the night?!_ Thankfully, he had other things at his disposal.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu…" he mumbled, instantly splitting into a dozen clones to form a circle around his rival.

Abandoning the need to taunt his opponent, as it would only distract them both from the fight at hand, Sasuke concentrated, eyeing the clones as he sought a hint that would alert him to the real one.

The clones rushed at him simultaneously, favoring a group attack rather than individual ones. Sasuke jumped, making the appropriate hand signs as he did so. A blaze erupted from his mouth, an attack that he hadn't used for quite some time. The clones scrambled away, clumsily dodging.

"Didn't anyone teach you not to play with fire, Sasuke?" a voice asked from above.

Thirteen pairs of eyes looked up to where the form of someone on a rooftop came into view, previously hidden simply through the silence it practiced while observing. Dressed in outlandish clothes, it proved a striking contrast to anyone in the village.

"Who the hell are you?" demanded one of the Naruto clones, going for the direct approach.

"Why don't you ask him?" the voice suggested pleasantly, pointing at Sasuke, who seemed to have frozen up for the second time that night. "He knows."

"Itachi," the younger Uchiha growled.

There was a short pause before he continued, "The one I hate to call brother, and the murderer of the Uchiha clan."

"No need to flatter me," Itachi shrugged off the labels casually.

Ignoring his previous opponent, Sasuke turned his attention to the one whose defeat he believed to be much more important. About tomake his way to the rooftop, he was forced to stop in mid-step when Itachi simply jumped down.

"You know you can't defeat me in your current state. There's no use trying unless you enjoy the pain that such an action promises," Itachi said, almost casually, his crimson Shanringan gaze burning into his brother's darker ones. "Besides... Tonight, I'm here for the Kyuubi."

"The _what_?" Sasuke was surprised enough that all thoughts of hate and violence left his mind for a moment. But just for a moment.

"This boy--" the older Uchiha gestured to the group of clones. "--is the host in which he was sealed by the Fourth Hokage. Such a powerful being wouldn't be defeated so easily, you see. Do you think people shunned him simply for being an orphan? The younger generations were never supposed to know. It appears that some secrets _can_ be well-kept, after all."

_Naruto... The one who Kyuubi was sealed into? One who wreaked such havoc and cost so many lives, in _his _body? It's... Not, it's not impossible. Someone like him who never seems to be able to lose..._that's_ where the power comes from..._

A wave of pride rushed over Sasuke briefly. At one point in time, he'd been superior in ability to Naruto. That battles that had been interrupted twice since both had trained would decide if that fact still held true. Now, more than ever, the desire to find out which was stronger overwhelmed him.

"I have an offer for you," Itachi began.

Confused, Sasuke whirled around to find that his brother had made his way over to the blond, who had willed his clones away as he listened in on the discussion between brothers.

"Come with me. I know how you can tap into that power more than you already have," he continued.

_He's a _murderer_. Why the hell am I listening to him?_ Naruto thought, and yet he was unable to pull his eyes away from the intense gaze of the one who was speaking.

"I'll come back in a week, Naruto," Itachi surprised him by calling him directly by his name. "By then, have an answer ready..."

He jumped back up to the rooftop where he had first been spotted, probably to make more of a dramatic exit than anything else. Instantly, two bodies flew at him. He dodged them easily, lazily.

"I didn't come here for you," the older Uchiha explained, turning and vanishing into the night.

The moon watched on as a group of ANBU members swarmed around Sasuke and Naruto, ready to question them about what they had seen. Someone had spied Itachi and alerted them, but they had just arrived.

"He didn't say anything important," Naruto said quickly. "I was just talking with Sasuke, and he showed up. Really, it was nothing."

Sasuke grumbled something about murder, though whether he was talking about Itachi or the ANBU, nobody could be quite sure. One thing, however, was quite obvious. He wouldn't be leaving that night.

It seemed there would have to be a change of plans.

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Ooh. I'm so proud of myself, it's my first serious fic that I feel like I'm going to work on. As I said before, reviews and/or constructive criticism are loved and appreciated, while flames are ignored and/or laughed at. ;; I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I'll hopefully have a new chapter up relatively soon.


	2. Reflections Fixed Version

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Title: Change of Plan

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Rating: PG-13

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Summary: What if Naruto, rather than Sakura, had followed Sasuke that night? What if Sasuke had never left with the sound-nins? One small decision can send everything spiraling out of control. Most likely will contain various pairings, none of which have been established yet.

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Notes: Huge, huge, huge thanks to Suukou! The two of us started a little bit of a story that we never finished, involving Naruto and Neji, and turns out, the general idea of it is perfect for part of this fic. Credit for most of the Neji-ness goes to her, though I've edited some parts mercilessly so they fit in here. Thanks to all of you reviewers who left positive comments, and uber-thanks to Gisela for the (gasp!) constructive criticism! =P **There were a few errors when I was uploading the chapter, but it should be working fine now. If you read it before 2:45 PM Eastern Time on May 14, then you might want to look again. **

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Disclaimer: Oops. Kinda forgot this on the last chapter. But Naruto ain't mine, never will be. If it was... (cough) Please excuse the fangirly wishful thinking. However, I do own the concept of mental ramen. It's mine, all mine Er, just don't ask. On to the story.

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Change of Plan

[ Chapter Two ] Reflections

"Who the hell would have guessed it?" Sasuke muttered bitterly to himself, glaring at the golden sunlight that poured in from his window.

The light reminded him of Naruto. And Naruto reminded him of last night. Last night, when he had been interrupted on his quest for power. Last night, when Itachi had outright _ignored_ him to talk to that _annoying_...

Fox demon. Sasuke had to work hard to force his mind to grasp the concept. Naruto, so outgoing and cheerful, the host body to something so ruthless, so evil, and so strong that the fourth Hokage had to sacrifice his _life_ to simply _seal_ it away. The boy had a seemingly limitless power source to draw upon, while Sasuke was left with his hate and nothing more.

Hate and training, and more hatred, and more straining of the body until he could train no more.

They only call me the genius, the prodigy of the Uchiha clan because Itachi isn't around to claim that title anymore... he thought to himself.

What both bothered and puzzled him about the previous night was Itachi's offer to Naruto, and the boy's reaction to it. Of course the power of the Kyuubi was an amazing one. Whatever the older Uchiha's true intentions were, the offer was _not_ for Naruto's sake. But the look on the blond's face made it seem as if he were actually considering the offer!

The interruptions from the previous night had caused a severe amount of heightened security around the village, as well as some not-so-secretive surveillance on both Naruto and Sasuke. If Itachi had come into contact with them before, perhaps he would do so again, was the reasoning. The two boys had only provided limited information about their encounter, acting upon some silent agreement to tell only what absolutely must be told without directly lieing.

Sasuke would have to be very creative with an escape plan, if he wished to find the sound-nins before they got tired of waiting for him. Surely they would have heard the news about Itachi, as well, and realized that's what was taking him so long?

Power could wait one week. He wanted to use the time he had to confront Naruto and ask him some questions.

Naruto slept late that morning. The night's events had kept him awake for a while, so he was simply catching up on some missed hours. He had done more thinking than he had done in a long time, playing and replaying what had happened as many times as he could.

He had seen a promise in Itachi's eyes. When flaming red met blue, there had been a spark of something there that told of acceptance of what he really was. Naruto felt _wanted_. Though he knew the man's motives could be anything but positive in the long run, the feeling was such a rare one that the blond wished that everyone was wrong -- that Itachi _hadn't_ been the one to reduce the Uchiha clan to two members, that he wasn't such a bad person. Naruto knew such hopes were pointless and wishful thinking never got anything done in the end.

But it did mess you up beyond belief. His heart and head battled through the night, even as he slept. Going with Itachi would mean abandoning his companions -- who didn't know about his secret, so he could learn to tap into the Kyuubi -- so he could possibly become the pawn in some madman's plot -- but he would be powerful enough to stop said madman, maybe, if he managed to absorb enough of the man's teachings -- though the student is never as powerful as the teacher, who saves the best secret technique for himself -- but...!

And so on, and so forth, until he awoke. Needless to say, his dreams were troubled, and he awoke with both a splitting headache and a growling stomach. When in doubt, there truly was only one thing to do. Get some ramen.

With that thought, he dressed as quickly as possible and headed out, appearing carefree to the world. Concentrating on his hunger almost obsessively let him put up somewhat of a mask to prevent anyone from realizing that anything had ever happened. The wind hit him full-force in the face when he stepped out the door, tossing his hair around not-quite gently. He strolled down the street, trying to appear as casual as possible. He was almost certain he felt eyes on him, though whether they were friendly or not, he didn't dare to wonder.

That's right. Just picture the ramen. Hot and steaming, right there, just waiting...

White eyes narrowed as Neji approached the blond, still annoyed that he was pursuing this train of thought. Even after all of this time. He had finally decided to listen to the little urge within him to pry the information he sought out of Naruto. This... this idiotic boy had beat him, had stood in front of him and _dared_ to lecture him about the way of the ninja. Created his own way, Neji remembered and his face turned colder as he stopped in front of Naruto. In lieu of a greeting, Neji said simply, emotionlessly, "The way you act... you shouldn't be as strong as you are."

So occupied was Naruto with his thoughts of ramen, which were wonderfully distracting him from the rest of the world, that it took him nearly a full minute to snap out of his reverie and realize that someone was talking to him...and then nearly another full minute to realize it was an insult. The blond spun around to face Neji, watching him not angrily, but a little confused. "What do you mean?"

Neji nearly let himself sigh. This was the idiot who had beat him. _He still beat you_, he reminded himself. "The way you act, Uzumaki Naruto, is not like the way most ninja act."

He put his hands in his pockets and looked calmly at the other shinobi.

"You're a drop out," he finished, the words hitting the air heavily as he showed his utter loss at this idea.

Naruto didn't mind being questioned so much as the way of the questioning and the manner of the questioner. If Neji was going to insult him, he'd fight fire with fire. A bit of immaturity, yes, but that was the way he was.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Drop out? If I'm a drop out, what does that make you? A loser who lost to a drop out?"

His body tensed at the words and Neji reminded himself why he was approaching Naruto in the first place.

"Unfortunately, it does," he replied coldly. "Uchiha Sasuke was who I'd been looking forward to fighting, not you. Then you... won."

The word was strained and he took a small step forward into Naruto. "I wanted to know if the reasons you gave for not giving up were true."

"If my reasons were true? Now you think I'm a liar, just because I don't fit your definitions of how everything should be?" Naruto demanded. "You wanted to fight Sasuke, but instead you got the loser, and now you want to know the big secret?"

Having his ideals questioned was one thing Naruto couldn't stand. Nobody seemed to notice all of the effort he put into his training. When someone finally did notice him, it was always negative attention. Except Itachi.

Don't start thinking that way again. That's why you have a headache. Itachi's messing with your mind, a little voice in the back of his mind reminded him. _There's no use getting _this _mad at Neji for a few questions._

Neji glared down at the blond, startled. "Yes, actually. Though I don't think you're a liar."

He paused, figuring out what he was going to say and then continued in a warmer tone, trying to sound like he wasn't about to attack Naruto. Embarrassed that he didn't know how to be someone's... friend. "I don't understand _why_ you're that way. Everyone was cold to you, hated you."

"They did," Naruto admitted freely, trying hard not to think of certain memories that fit such a description. "But that gives me more of a reason to prove to them wrong. If you judge someone that way, they'll make you eat your words."

Speaking of eating words, that mental-ramen was slowly losing steam... _No, don't go! I need you...! _The ramen winked out of Naruto's mind. _Damnit._

It occured to the blond suddenly that they had been stopped this whole time. He had been distracted _too_ well, it seemed, and that was preventing him from filling up his stomach, which growled in response to the thought.

Neji regarded Naruto carefully, interested in how he could be angry and volatile one minute and the next calmer and serious. Wanted to understand that badly, found himself wondering about the marks on his cheeks...

"Like you made me eat my words," Neji remarked, almost to himself, speaking a little louder when he noticed Naruto's expression change once more. "What's with the face?"

"Huh?" the blond responded to the question with one of his own before realizing that he must have displayed some outward sign of his thoughts. "It's nothing."

I'm sure he'll take me serious if I start talking about mental ramen... His thoughts dripped with sarcasm.

Neji nodded slowly. The boy was strange. "It didn't look like nothing," he remarked, wondering if he should just leave the other boy alone.

"It was! Really!" Naruto insisted. "Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"

"I told you why," he said, annoyed with himself. This had been an idiotic idea, and he felt like a fool. He hated feeling like a fool. Neji straightened himself and looked down at Naruto. "I apologize, I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing."

"...Wait," Naruto said, a strange gleam in his eyes. "It's all your fault. You owe me."

Shallow thoughts--pertaining to his favorite food, of course--were never disrupted at a more perfect moment. "You interrupted me on the way to get some ramen. Instead of wasting all this time talking, I could be eating right now!"

"I owe you?" He asked slowly. He'd only been talking to him for a couple of minutes, he couldn't have delayed him that badly.

Naruto did his best to overexaggerate his gestures as he explained, rather overenthusiastically, "Yes! You do! It takes three minutes of waiting, you know! And if I didn't stop to talk to you, I could be eating it now." Simple logic. Sorta.

He took a step back from the other ninja and regarded him carefully. How did the Uchiha do it? "I owe you for making you wait three minutes?" he repeated, confused.

"Yes. You owe me three minutes," Naruto continued his explanation stubbornly, as if he couldn't understand why on earth it wouldn't make sense.

The black-haired ninja nodded slowly. He still wanted answers, so he'd humor Naruto. "Fine. So... what do you want?"

The blond stared at Neji, unnaturally silent. His blue eyes were wide as he examined his fellow ninja's face for signs of jest before he gave his answer. "Haven't you been listening? _Ramen_."

Neji nodded again, staring at Naruto. "...Right."

About to make some smartass remark about how Neji was going to be spending time with a loser, Naruto thought the better of it. Insults meant more waiting, or (even worse) paying for his own ramen. Besides, eating with someone was not only more fun than eating alone, but it would also help him put up a temporary wall around thoughts of Itachi.

He grinned. "Your treat?"

"Okay," Neji agreed, knowing Naruto was trying to sucker him. He knew the other boy wasn't that well off, and besides how much could he eat? Neji wasn't hungry, but he'd be able to pick the other ninja's confusing brain for a little longer.

Still, I'm surprised he agreed... Naruto thought to himself. _Unless there's really something he wants to ask that he's not telling me._ This was pushed to the back of his mind for now, as the mental ramen was soon to be replaced by the real thing.

"Do you train much with Uchiha Sasuke?" Neji asked idly, trying to figure out exactly what the boy did with himself when he wasn't on missions.

The mention of the Uchiha name caused a sense of discomfort in Naruto, which he had thought he had been able to push back. It seemed that it was inevitable, and he'd be thinking about it up until the very moment Itachi came back. Six days never seemed so long to wait.

"Um, we used to for a while, but not as much lately..." Naruto mumbled. "Why?"

"Just wondering what you do," he replied, not thinking. Entranced by Naruto's face, it was so _expressive_.

Naruto turned away from Neji to cast a few stray looks around. They should be coming up to the ramen place soon, and he didn't want to miss it just because he was lost in a conversation. Besides, it was a good way to draw attention away from his face, which was quite an obvious mirror for the confusion within.

He still hadn't figured out what Sasuke was doing, where he planned on going. That worried him almost as much as Itachi's offer did.

They entered the ramen shop and sat down side by side at the bar, Neji slightly bothered because he wouldn't be able to see Naruto's face as well. He wondered why that should matter. "How is Kakashi-sensei as a leader?"

Since when did Neji get this talkative? Narutospun around to face the Hyuuga.

"Kakashi-sensei? He's..." Naruto trailed off. _A pervert. _"...really good. I learned a lot from him, y'know." _Lesson one, read dirty books while teaching students._

"That's good, he's an impressive jounin." Neji commented, drumming his fingers on the bar lightly. Better than Gai-sensei who was, in Neji's opinion, over eager and a little frightening.

Naruto ordered his ramen and gave in to silence. What more was there to say?

Neji stared at the wall for a moment, trying to figure out what it was about Naruto that made him feel so off-balance.

"Did you really train with Jiraiya?" he asked, impressed.

He'd heard the rumors, naturally, but usually put no stock in such things. Still, having one of the Three training you... Naruto certainly was surprising. He felt like an idiot that all he could bring up was training but... what else was he supposed to talk about. That's all he _did_.

"Yeah," Naruto answered. _And he's more of a pervert than Kakashi-sensei._ However, he didn't feel the need to enlighten Neji with such a fact. He decided, instead, to turn the tables and ask the questions for once. "But what do _you_ do with your time, huh?"

"I train," came the simply reply. Neji frowned at the table, wondering what it was about Naruto that had gotten him the best ninja's to train him. He felt a stab of hatred towards the Main Family, knowing that if he had been in Hinata's position, he'd be given the best as well. Felt the mark on his forehead burn, knowing it was just his imagination but still... he was collared.

There was silence again, as Naruto's wait was over and he began devouring the steaming mass of food in front of him. It was uncomfortable and unnatural. The quietness, not the ramen.

"Er..." he began, speaking for the simple reason of getting words into the air between them.

"Is it me that makes you so nervous or is it the silence?" Neji asked, amused.

A little of both, Naruto nearly admitted out loud. The blond stared back at his food for a moment before meeting the other's gaze. Blue eyes met that strange whiteness. They unnerved him nearly as much as Itachi's crimson glance had done. He was actually at a loss for words. "The...silence, yeah," he mumbled quickly.

Neji nearly smiled. He was_ lying_, and something inside of him took pleasure in making Naruto fumble.

"You're the talkative one, remember?" he twisted in his chair and leaned back slightly, staring at the blond. "So your team is close, then? And Hinata..."

Neji winced and folded his arms over his chest. He wouldn't apologize for it.

"You wanted to fight me for her, then got your wish. And beat me. But you didn't rub it in." He paused, then added, "Why?"

"Why?" Naruto repeated, stalling time as he put actual thought behind his words. "I don't need to rub it in. For someone like you, knowing that you lost to me should be enough, and I know that you'll just keep training. So when you get stronger, we can have a rematch, okay?"

And if I go with Itachi, there will be no chance of that rematch. Naruto tried to tell himself in an attempt to sour the man's promise. He just couldn't ignore it, no matter how hard he tried.

Neji automatically darkened at the insult. When he got stronger? This... this orphan with absolutely no _breeding_... he stopped himself abruptly. Arrogance would get him nowhere.

"I will do that," he answered, proud that he sounded calmer than he was. Kept staring at the other boy, almost amazed. "And... thank you. For not rubbing it in."

Naruto still felt there was no need for the apology. It was his instinctive reaction to the situation, he never kicked anyone who was down. To do so would be hypocritical, wrong. "Uh, you're welcome," he went along with Neji, not wanting to argue.

Neji merely nodded in response, impressed by Naruto's sense of honor. Confused at how open Naruto was to everyone, despite what they'd done to him. "Your chakra... changed, Naruto. Why?" Decided as long as he was here he might as well ask the question that had been bothering him since they fought.

The blond nearly choked on his food. He regained his composure as quick as he could--though it was most likely not quickly enough to stop Neji from noticing such a reaction. _I've never had to tell anyone about the Kyuubi before... Sasuke's the only other person who knows, and it's because of last night... _It didn't take too long to realize that he was blabbering senselessly, even in his own mind. "It's...hard to explain..." Naruto began.

Neji was instantly curious as to what caused his distress, watched the emotions flit across Naruto's face. He really would make an awful spy. "I have time," he replied simply.

"Well, it's...there's..." Naruto looked around with what was akin to a sense of paranoia. "Kind-of a secret. Too many people here to tell you." _That should delay him, at least for another few minutes..._

"You don't have to tell me," he started, surprised that Naruto would tell him something personal. "I mean, if you're not comfortable with it."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, not even caring that it was obvious. At least Neji wasn't pressing the issue, or even trying to find some way to mock him for refusing to tell. Proof that people in this world could change, given the right circumstances.

"I feel kinda stupid sitting here with an empty bowl when you didn't have anything to eat," Naruto remarked. "So if you order something for yourself, get me another, will ya?"

Neji ordered another bowl of ramen for Naruto, saying simply, "I'm not hungry."

The Hyuuga watched Naruto carefully, wondered if Sasuke knew about this chakra. Wondered about the softly spoken 'used to' in reply to his question about them training together and at himself for the... was it _jealousy_, lancing through him. The idea of it made him want to lash out at the smaller boy, so he asked, voice all silk, "Have you noticed Sasuke acting strange lately?"

There was no reason _not_ to answer truthfully. This was _Neji_, not someone from another village, not an adult, someone his own age. And, if truth be told, it felt good to be confiding in someone. It was a luxury that Naruto did not have in the past, and he didn't think twice before answering, though he was careful with his reply.

"Yeah. I don't bring it up around him, 'cause then he just acts even weirder. He doesn't want to tell me what's going on. I think I almost got him to tell me once," Naruto paused, leaving out the phrase _last night_ before continuing. "But then we were interrupted."

"Oh?" Neji wasn't sure if he should ask more, this seemed to be a touchy subject for the blond based on the expression he was doing a horrible job of masking.

"Yeah," Naruto responded, suddenly standing up. "I need to go... Don't feel good. Eat my ramen for me, will you?"

The white-eyed boy watched with surprise as Naruto abandoned his food, which was placed by his vacated seat only a moment later. Was he really sick, or was there something that he was keeping locked inside regarding the matter of the Uchiha?

Neji eyed the ramen. He was paying for it anyway, so he might as well pick at it, right?

Once out of the immediate area, Naruto took off at a run. Nobody took notice of this as an out-of-ordinary occurance. Kids will be kids, everyone said, and Naruto will be Naruto. He didn't care _where_ he ran, so long as he was running. Just couldn't stand it, didn't think he would crack this easily. The breeze was strong, roaring in his ears as he cut through it like a dull knife. It was so loud that he couldn't hear the footsteps of one following him.

"Where are you going?" a voice asked from behind.

Naruto whirled around to see Sasuke staring, arms folded across his chest.

"Now you're the one running," the young Uchiha stated flatly.

"I'm not going anywhere," Naruto stated simply. "At least, I'm not leaving."

"You're not leaving?" Sasuke pressed. "Or you're not leaving _yet_? Don't tell me you didn't think about his offer."

When the blond was silent for a moment, he continued to speak.

"And was he serious about..." His voice lowered quite a bit, to nearly a whisper that the wind threatened to blow away. "...you being the host of the Kyuubi?"

---To. Be. Continued.

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Extra Notes: Wow. Didn't think I'd _ever_ finish this. But somehow, I did. goes into shock As I've said -- reviews are loved beyond love and all that. Hint, hint. They make me feel loved so I'll write more. ;) I hope you all enjoyed chapter two.


	3. Clashing of Truths

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Title: Change of Plan

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Rating: PG-13

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Summary: What if Naruto, rather than Sakura, had followed Sasuke that night? What if Sasuke had never left with the sound-nins? One small decision can send everything spiraling out of control. Most likely will contain various pairings, none of which have been established yet.

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Notes: I'm very sorry for the delay. Life's been weird, and this chapter isn't flowing as easily as the first two did. Hopefully, now that it's done, more interesting things shall follow, and I won't be as reluctant to write about 'em. I hope you enjoy.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I would steal his forehead protector. =D

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Change of Plan

[ Chapter Three ] Clashing of Truths

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"Was he serious about..." Sasuke's voice lowered quite a bit, to nearly a whisper that the wind threatened to blow away. "...you being the host of the Kyuubi?"

Naruto found this a much easier question to answer than the ones before it. It required a simple yes-or-no answer and didn't involve any heavy thinking on his part. Sasuke had already found out, so there was no point in trying to deny what was already established as fact. "Yes."

The very ease with which Naruto affirmed this was enough to make Sasuke drop his calm front for just a second. Such honesty worried him, made him more edgy than he should be feeling.

"How long have you knonw?" he asked in a tone that made it impossible to interpret the emotion behind the question.

"I didn't find out 'till I graduated," Naruto replied, feeling a qucik stab of something--anger? confusion?--at the fact that he hand't learned until thpoint in time. "And it wasn't on purpose either."

"You had no idea until _last year_?" the young Uchiha blurted out with a bit more feeling than he cared to put into his words.

It was shocking to him that such a secret could be hidden so long without ever being exposed. He knew that people resented Naruto for the practical jokes and annoyances he was known for, but apparently this infamy dated back to a time even before his birth. But who would hide a person's true identity from that person for so long?

"That's what I said," Naruto answered with a hint of annoyance.

The perfect reaction. Sasuke was glad that he was irritating the other boy. If he wanted to match his skills up against Naruto, he only had six days. There was no point, however, in waiting. Should he best the blond, then he would have a reason to stick around, so he could try to challenge Itachi. If Naruto bested him... Sasuke didn't want to believe such a thing could happen, but he understood there was a chance. He was _prideful_, not _stupid_. If such an outcome came to pass, he would leave as soon as possible.

The possibility that the sand-nins would not wait for him flashed through Sasuke's mind, but he pushed it away. Too much thinking, when he ought to be instigating that fight.

"Well," he began, appearing to snap out of a trance as he made up his mind about the situation.

"If that fox is as powerful as everyone claimed he was, and Itachi already implied you were learning to harness its power...Show me," Sasuke demanded in a cold voice that wouldn't take no for an answer.

"What?" Naruto was instantly curious about the abrupt request and his rival's sudden change of attitude.

"You heard me," the boy retorted condescendingly. "Stop pretending you have no idea what I'm talking about. Now that I know what you are, who's inside of you, defeating you will take on a whole new meaning. A rematch of what Kakashi interrupted?"

Even Saske could realize this didn't sound too much like him. He was being too talkative. Baiting others was not something he made a habit of doing, and it was rare that _he_ would seek out a fight, rather than accept a challenge from someone who had heard of his clan's prestige.

Former _prestige,_ he reminded himself. _There_ is _no more Uchiha clan, save for me and _him._ And when I can finally kill Itachi, I'll be the only one left._

That train of thought left room for nothing pleasant to follow. It was more of a train_wreck_, leaving mental images of death, dispair, and pale ghosts of the past in its wake. The avenger would take an eye for an eye, thought he'd have to settle with claiming just two for the many of those that died.

And Naruto knew that Sasuke would not give up until they had fought. The flames of determination in his eyes burned anything they looked at, and that fire struck something within him, as well. The need to rise up to any challenge presented to him, to prove himself to those who he so badly had wanted to the approval of--though his respect for Sasuke had slowly dwindled as the Uchiha changed and became someone who he was not. Perhaps this was who Sasuke really was, and Naruto had simply never noticed. Yet he wanted to believe that this was only temporary, that he could do something to help out the one he considered a long-time rival and, up until recently, a friend who he would protect with his life.

"Fine," Naruto decided. "Let's do this somewhere else, though."

"Anything in public will only draw attention. You're right," Sasuke nodded. "It seems you _do_ have something of a brain, after all, even if you don't use it all the time."

Naruto growled something under his breath as he tried to ignore the other's words. He knew he was being baited, and that was just fine wth him. He'd knock some sense into Sasuke somehow.

"The last place we trained before you left with Jiraiya, you remember it?" the raven-haired boy questioned. "Meet me there in a half hour."

"I'll be there!" Naruto called out as Sasuke turned and slowly walked away.

Footstps were the only indication that the blond had taken off, as well. The Uchiha didn't look back once. Why should he? He shouldn't care where Naruto was going, should only care that he showed up to fight. Shouldn't care that defeating him might convince the boy to side with his brother. But it did matter. Any time Itachi spent any amount of time in other company, there was a chance that _other_ person would kill him. Sasuke wouldn't and couldn't let anyone take that chance from him. Such thoughts fueled the rage he welcomed and helped to keep his thoughts in order while he readied himself for the fight.

People say there's a fine line between love and hate. It's hard to cross over the first time, but once you've gone over, you might just come back to where you started.

At the designated time, Naruto found himself standing at the edge of a grassy field. It was surrounded by a variety of trees on three of its four sides, the arrangement of the different shades of green causing a pleasant sight for the eyes of anyone who watched it.

The two youths stood just a few feet away from each other, underneath a pale blue sky tainted by the promise of a storm. Onyx eyes stared into blue ones, and the opponents sized each other up, circling like wild dogs. It was a conflict between light and darkness in appearance alone. Each one had their own reasons for doing this, each believed that their views were right, and neither would back down.

The quiet stillness in the air was shattered in the next moment by a gust of wind, and with this, Sasuke seemed to disappear.

Intense speed... Naruto gathered his thoughts together and looked around cautiously, turning in circles with each spin of his head. The other was not behind him, ready to strike. In fact, he didn't seem to be anywhere. Well...two could play at the hiding game. As quickly as possible, he made his way to a nearby tree.

Suddenly, the one he sought umped down at him from the branches, using the weight of his falling form to pin Naruto to the ground. A kunai was pressed against his throat.

Too easy. Something's wrong. Sasuke thought.

The boy was grinning back at him, the expression a foil of the grim one the Uchiha wore. The kunai was pressed closer to soft flesh, not with killing intent, but merely to remind the blond who was in charge of the situation, and more to remind himself than Naruto. He vanished with a puff of smoke.

He must have sent the clone here, then waited somewhere else...! Sasuke barely had time to realize what was going on before a rain of shuriken flew at him from a tree or so over.

There seemed to be no reason to wait, exchanging countless, pointless blows that would only serve to reduce their stamina or use simple attacks that would drain chakra. They would start where they left off the last time. Or so each decided, prolonging the time before the gestures that would begin the clash of their new techniques.

What if someone sees? Sasuke wondered. _I'll never have a chance of leaving and getting stronger._

What if we use too much power? Naruto worried. _I don't want to hurt Sasuke more than I have to, but I might not have a choice._

Bodies slick with sweat, hair plastered to their foreheads, the two of them panting... There was a momentary lull in the battle. The sky seized advantage of this opportunity to scold them with a loud blast of thunder and a few drops of rain. Something like that wouldn't stop them, but it would--so to speak--dampen their spirits a bit.

.

.

Neji, by that time, was outside, white eyes surveying the area. He should be going somewhere to train, despite the weather. You had to be prepared to do what had to be done on missions, no matter what the conditions were outside. So why bother only training on clear days?

But the look in Naruto's eyes when the boy had run out earlier was hard to ignore. Neji's curiousity had been sparked by his strength, increased by his overall attitude and unpredictable reactions. He just seemed too _nice_ to be plagued by...whatever it was.

A slow, steady drizzle had begun, and the parched ground welcomed it. The streets were clearing out as a few people went inside the various buildings, not having the same sense of purpose as Neji did. He was quite wrapped up in wondering where Naruto had gone and paid only enough attention to those around him that would prevent him from having any unnecessary collisions.

Just a few feet in front of him, muttering something he couldn't quite understand, was one Haruno Sakura. As one of Naruto's teammates, perhaps she'd be able to guess at where the blond went. Luckily for him -- or maybe it was unluckily, depending on how one looked at the situation -- she spotted him first. The eye contact gave Neji an excuse to speak without sounding as if he really wanted to start a conversation with her. Because he didn't.

"Sakura," he nodded by way of greeting. "Have you seen Naruto around?"

Caught off-guard by the fact that Neji was even bothering to talk to her, she stammered out her reply. "Um, yeah, I did see him. About ten minutes ago. Why?"

"I had to ask him a question," he replied with little emotion to color his tone.

"I don't know exactly where he went, but he looked pretty serious. Sasuke went in the same direction a few minutes after. They were headed that way--" Sakura pointed, but never got to finish giving her information because Neji simply started walking away.

She stood in stunned silence for a moment, while inwardly she swore at his rudeness (and thanked the gods, not for the first time, that Inner Sakura remained just that). And on top of that, the rain was messing up her hair. Geez.

Sasuke following Naruto. Both of them acting strangely. Though Neji didn't know exactly what each one was thinking, he was at least able to grasp the potential that such an encounter held.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?"

Sakura's voice jolted Neji out of his predictions and brought him back to the present. He hadn't expected her to follow him, but she was anything but stupid.

"I don't know," he answered.

It wasn't entirely a lie. Either way, she'd see for herself within the next few minutes. The two genin quickened their paces as the destination became obvious. One of Konoha's training grounds.

.

.

It seemed an endless, this staring contest between bright eyes that reflected blazing hearts. Sharingan red met sky blue, and neither looked away, not even to acknowledge the moment that Neji and Sakura approached.

"Don't hold back anymore, Naruto. Now that I know about the Kyuubi's power, I want to see it in action," Sasuke braking both the silence and their gazes. "Though sealed up in someone like _you_, maybe you really _do_ need help releasing its power..."

Kyuubi...?!

Both Neji and Sakura went rigid with shock, not quite understanding the words they had just heard. It didn't make sense. It _couldn't_ make sense. And yet, somehow...it did.

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And I'll leave you with a cliffhanger, just so you can actually read this chapter. Because if I don't post it now, I don't know if I ever will. I'll try to get the next chapter posted by tomorrow, maybe the next day. I have issues with updating things, I always get nervous, or blocked, or make stupid excuses. Don't believe a word that comes out of my mouth (keyboard). In fact, you shouldn't even believe this right now. 


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